IMPLEMENTATION OF SERVICE ROUTES IN THE UNITED STATES

The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)signified a new era of mobility for elderly and disabled passengers.There have been many debates about fixed-route versus door-todoordemand-responsive services. While the United States hasbeen discussing the issue, Sweden has been experimenting since1983 with a concept called service routes. Madison Metro (inWiscon_sin) is very close (April 1992) to implementing the firsttwo service routes in the United States. The planning activitiesleading up to implementation and, subject to availability, preliminaryresults are discussed. The service-route concept and theunique planning consideration necessary to design successful routesis reviewed, as are the process used in defining desirable originsand destinations, the public participation process, the developmentof alternatives, the refinement of alternatives, and the selectionof routing details. In addition, the discussion will includedetailing of operating guidelines (i.e., driver selection/trainingand fares), the integration with other Metro service includingMetro+ Plus, the estimation of demand, the development of costsand revenues, and finally the establishment of a monitoring andevaluation plan. This concept when applied to small cities orselected small communities within a larger urban area has thepotential to satisfy ADA requirements with a small capital investmentand potentially lower operating costs. The addition ofminivans with low floors and ramps could provide the door-todoorservice needed by a minority of users. Most important, thisdesign can provide significantly better mobility and flexibility forthe transportation-disadvantaged residents of our communities. (Less)